Thoughts of a Common Man

I have annual books filled with my daily activities back to 1973. 50 years of notes that document my days. As Sam once told me: “We aren’t going to be left wondering what you were thinking, ever, because you wrote everything down.” Yet, I opened the suitcase where I have stored all the journals and it crossed my mind to just get rid of them. Why am I holding onto them? No one will ever want to read what I did with my day back in 1989. It’s funny though because every once in a while, we will have a debate on when something happened.“I can look it up,” I’ve mentioned more than once. But now? There isn’t much of a reason to look back on my days. I know where the idea came from… …back in the 4th grade I was looking ahead. “If I write things down now, when I’m an old man I’ll have material to write a book about my life.” It was a real thought and I was disciplined in writing each day’s recap… …for 50 years! Still, here we are at the end of the year, and I don’t have to worry about that book...

Was listening to the baseball network on satellite radio and the hosts talked about how it was ‘raining cats and dogs’ out there. The first host wondered where the phrase originated and the second host said: “ah, who cares? No one says it anymore.” I cared, and it occurred to me that some still say it. I had to look it up. The phrase’s origin is from 17th century Europe - heavy rains would sometimes result in dead animals being moved down the street in flooding. Made me think of words that have been forgotten. They used to say: Groovy: Simon  and Garfunkel sang a song that had feeling groovy as the chorus. We don’t say groovy much anymore. Davenport: My grandma used to say. “Go sit on the Davenport.” She was talking about the couch, of course, but by the time she was telling us, no one knew what the hell a Davenport was. Snazzy: “Why, don’t you look snazzy?” When we were kids if we dressed up that was why we might hear. I wonder what my kids might say if I told them they looked sna...

A reporter asked Republican presidential hopeful, Nikki Haley. a question about the civil war. She didn’t mention slavery as the main cause. Instead she said that it was about people fed up with the government having too much power and that people got sick of the interference and rebelled. When the reporter asked: “What about slavery?” She said: “Next question.” Evidently, Haley didn’t pay attention in history class, or like many others - there is a real attempt to downplay what the blacks went through. They’re banning books that even mention it in some states. Haley was lambasted for her idiotic answer so she doubled down on her moronic answer saying that Americans don’t want the government telling people how to live their lives… …she’s not pro-choice… …doesn’t she realize that her stance on abortion contradicts her whole anti-government interference position? What is even more confounding is the media’s reaction to Haley’s gaffe. She has to be wondering: “What about the big orange du...

I have to do my best to stick to my routines. It keeps my head clear. The rest of the world isn’t really cooperating. I visited a few jobs, and even the construction guys were moving slowly. I sent an email.  Got an immediate response. “…is out of the office and will be returning on January 2nd. Please leave a message.” So, it stands to reason that I should relax a little and try and take my time during my visits. The problem being, Miller didn’t get the memo to relax. He started my morning by singing Christmas songs. As far as I can tell his entire first purpose of every day is making sure that I don’t sleep too long. To make matters worse, football was canceled yesterday as the rain turned Oliver’s playing field into a mud puddle. Try explaining the game is called off. And Camp Clifford was quiet as well… …everyone is starting to feel better, but there wasn’t a whole lot of movement. “Ugh,” I said, as the day ended. “What’s up?” Kathy asked. “Days are too slow this week.” “Just g...

Political races are usually hotly contested and when it’s for the highest office in the land, the race starts a couple of years before the votes are actually counted. The politicians who are facing one another have their lives examined through the most powerful of lenses and usually it’s hard to differentiate who said what when it comes to wishing their fellow Americans a Merry Christmas. Not this time around! The incumbent candidate went the: ‘From my family to yours we wish you a loving, peaceful, healthy and Merry Christmas.” The challenger: “MAY THEY ROT IN HELL!” Was how he chose to close his heartfelt message. When is enough enough with this dude? Read the message: “Everyone is doing me wrong! It’s not fair! I did everything right!!” When I read it I thought of a petulant child complaining to his parents about how tough his life is because people are unfair. And to be of the mindset to tell someone to ‘rot in hell’ on Christmas Day when you’re being touted as the second coming of...

It was 58 degrees yesterday. Last Christmas we got absolutely blasted and the blizzard kept us in our house for 3 days. Illness changed things this year. I cooked. Jake was my only consistent eating partner. Kathy and Sam slept a whole lot of hours, and we had a great visit with members of my side of the family, but there was a quiet - again - about Christmas. As I was tossing the ball for Ollie it occurred to me that I could be golfing! Then I thought about the last two Christmas weather days. “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas?” Or 58 degrees and playing with the Big O. No contest! “Who in their right mind would look out the window on a day like today and sing about dreaming about snow?”  Sam laughed. “Yeah. This is better.” Christmas was different. I rested and read and cooked and listened to people sleep. Work will be another exercise in sleep-walking as a lot of people phone it in this week… …but I’m ready to roll… …and when everyone wakes up, we’ll do a little more in the way...

Welp. Christmas 2022 was postponed by a major blizzard that kept us in the house. No chance at moving anywhere. Christmas 2021 was put on hold because Kathy was recovering from a hip replacement of her left hip. Christmas 2020 was curtailed because of Covid. We didn’t see anyone. Christmas 2019 was cancelled because Kathy was suffering from a broken hip which resulted in her having her right hip replaced. So, we were a tad fired up about this year. Kathy got sick on Friday. Sam got sick on Saturday. Jake’s girlfriend and Matt’s fiancé are both sick as well - all Covid tests are negative but I’m hearing things like Strep throat and bronchitis. I’ve been around all of them… …not so much as a sniffle. Through this morning, it’s been a lot of sleeping - by all those around me - and very little else. Jake and me are eating well. The presents will be opened. Ollie is getting his reps in. “I’m sorry,” Kathy said at one point. “Not much of a celebration again.” “Eh, we’re all here. We have foo...

 I happened to be looking straight at my Mom when my niece, Andrea, crossed the room with her newborn daughter, Oaklyn. Mom’s face lit up… …like a Christmas tree. In that moment I witnessed pure joy and absolute happiness. Love will teach you joy. And Mom held the baby for a moment and very quietly said: “I want a baby.” We were short a few siblings - Jim is on vacation, Carrie is out of town, and Jeff is missed every day, but we had a full house as our children sat in some of the chairs that were always set around a huge table. Right there in that same kitchen. On Dad’s birthday, it was hard not to think of some of those days gone by. We told a few stories. Dad stories are always good for a hearty laugh and a shake of the head or two. A few old friends names came up too. Mom asked about my buddies Tom and Jeff. She recounted a story from about 40 years ago when Tom was confronted by Mom’s Mom. “You shouldn’t drive home,” Grandma told Tom. “You’re in no condition to drive.” “Ha! I’...

Friday was technically a work day… …I didn’t come across, or speak to, anyone who wasn’t half-assing it. My life is agenda driven.  I wake up with a fully defined plan each day. I was a little out of sorts when I got out of bed because I couldn’t figure out quite what I wanted to do. I thought about the food that we would be consuming at the get-togethers. I’d have to be gathering that. There were a few stray gifts to get, and picking those is never much fun. We are getting together today to celebrate Dad’s birthday which will also factor into our plans. Dad never wanted us to make a fuss over his birthday, but we always did. Getting together and laughing a bit will add to the celebration. But there’s the world to deal with during this time of year. I spent a long time waiting to pull out into traffic at the end of my road - there was a steady line of cars. Too many damn people out! I stood before a clerk at a store who seemed to me to be slightly brain-damaged.  I gave her $1...

Jennifer Aniston leaned in close and whispered: “All right, let’s make out. I wanna’ see what all the fuss is about.” “What do you mean?” I asked. “It’s all any of the women talk about,” she responded. I didn’t have the chance to finish the conversation because Miller, for one reason or another, purred right in my ear. I grabbed the phone - it was only 3:45 in the morning. I couldn’t get the dream back! Me and Jen - two ships that passed in the night. There was also a dream a few nights before. I tried to exit a room and noted that I was locked in. The guy on the other side of the door explained that I would have to pay a $25,000 fee to get out. Not sure how I woke from that dream, but it stuck with me all day. I was pissed! And what dreams mean and where they come from has always been a bit fascinating to me. Jennifer Aniston is a fine actress and I’ve watched most of her shows or movies… …but why would she appear in my dreams begging me to make out with her? Who the hell knows, right...

For the first time ever, the entire story of the John Lennon murder is being told in a documentary. The first episode was absolutely upsetting to me. This was back in 1980. I was only 16 years old when it happened, and I can recall the minute when I heard that Lennon had been killed. It was just a normal morning. My sister had turned on the radio, as she’d done every morning, and we listened to music. Harv Moore was the DJ on WPHD 103 who broke the news to me. As I watched the first episode, I felt the same feeling of dread as I did back in 1980. Lennon had always been my favorite Beatle. As time went on I learned to love all of them as talented writers and musicians, but to this day, John remains my favorite. Why was he killed? I still can’t understand it and it’s because I’m looking at real life through those evil eyes of Mark David Chapman. The pain in the hearts of those being interviewed - 43 years later - is evident. The cab drivers and the security guards broke into tears. I go ...

I don’t much care for these couple of weeks of the year. It’s not that I don’t like Christmas - I do - good food, time with the family, an extra couple of days off… …it’s the actual days when I’m supposed to be working that bother me. No one is really all that interested in working. Everyone that I run into seems to be completely devoid of energy. I don’t do half-throttle very well and while I still have things scheduled, I’m also a little off my game. The colder temperatures and the grey sky doesn’t do much for me either, and above all else, the routine is off. I have to wait for other people to make up their mind on what they want to do. Other people work their schedule into mine… …and I have to lecture myself in just taking it as it comes. “I think we do a Christmas brunch,” Kathy said. “Matt can only make it between 10 a.m. and like 2:00 and Sam has to go to work so what do you think about us doing a ham or a turkey with broccoli cheese and rice or pasta?” “Us?” I asked. “Are we co...

Mark Zuckerberg got about $3 billion dollars richer yesterday. One of the richest men in the world - his billions grow every day.  I also read that 8 men have as much money as more than 90% of the rest of the world. 8 men. Billions of billions of dollars. Zuckerberg is now not so secretly building an underground bunker in Hawaii. If you get the chance take a look at it - there are 30 bathrooms. Meanwhile, I watched a man, pushing a shopping cart up to the door of an abandoned house here in Buffalo. The guy spent most of the afternoon trying to find anything worth saving in the total disaster of the long forgotten home.. He ripped down a canopy that was full of holes and covered in dirt, mold and who knows what else. The man told a co-worker that the canopy would come in handy to wrap himself up once the snow starts flying. The haves and the have nots have never been more clearly defined and there are way more have nots. The guy stripping the home certainly doesn’t have a Facebook a...

For the second straight Saturday I cooked two meals. This week I made a turkey breast and mashed potatoes with corn for Saturday. Pasta Fagioli for Sunday. Then a funny thing happened… …I decided, as everything was cooking, that I wasn’t going to be eating any turkey. The pasta fagioli was amazing. I told Mom about the menu for the weekend and she asked me where I learned how to make pasta fagioli. “Dad taught all of us,” I said. “He made sure that we hit the world with about twenty different pasta dishes in our back pocket.” Mom was happy about that. She enjoyed knowing that all her sons and daughters are pretty good cooks. So, at least winter weather is good for something, right (even though I could’ve went golfing on Saturday). There’s plenty of time to cook. Of course, I made way too much… …of both dinners. “What the hell were you thinking?” Kathy asked. “You made two dinners for eight and there are only two of us here.” “Maybe someday I’ll be able to just cook enough for two. Not ...

This is truly the golden age of television. We have about 5 series going and we’re well aware of when the next season of a new favorite is going to drop. (That’s even the lingo that the kids use). When we were kids if we missed an episode of a show we had to wait until the summer and pray that they play that rerun. Thursday was a can’t miss night - Cheers, Wings - we had to be home for those shows. Now? I read about a possible show somewhere on Twitter and even if I only have one word in the title we can find it in 30 seconds through a search… …and an entire season will be there. Yet, on Saturday night, Kathy said: “There’s nothing on.” “How can there be nothing on? We have about 20,000 stations.” And little did I know but we have to PAY for all those stations. For instance, I came home and mentioned a show I’d heard about. “What’s it on?” “Hulu. Do we have that?” “It expired.” “Oh.” “No big deal.” A second later, my phone chimed. A charge for $9.99 had been approved. “Did I just sign ...

 You can ask anyone who watched Yankees games with me at the start of the century. I wasn’t a fan of Rudy. He was always there in the first row, wearing an NYPD hat.  Free tickets, trying to get in the face of all the Yankees legends. Just rubbed me the wrong way. Over the past ten years he’s become something of a national nuisance. He was all over the news after the 2020 election spewing nonsense about how it was stolen. He booked the 4 Seasons Landscaping for a huge press conference and was laughed off the national stage. But not before he tried to prove the election interference by making two Georgia electors lives a living hell. The jury wasn’t kind to Rudy… …he was found liable and has been ordered to pay $148 million to the two women. Rudy was famous for saying, “We have a lot of theories. We just don’t have any evidence.” Using the math in my above photo: He found out. Yet, as I was flipping by the story I saw Steve Bannon and Alex Jones… …a couple of other men who were...

Every year around this time an email goes out to invite all the safety professionals to a downtown Buffalo bar. We have a couple of drinks, and swap stories about the days gone by. The safest party anyone has ever gone to. And it truly is a fun get-together because all the OSHA compliance officers are there as are safety directors from the biggest contractors and all the best consultants. I worked for and with a whole bunch of guys in the room, and we laughed a lot talking about the cases where guys did epically stupid things, got busted by OSHA and then petitioned me to help them get the penalties reduced. As I looked around the room, a whole lot of years seemed to melt away. “Remember when,” is the lowest form of communication. Tony Soprano said that in an episode and I don’t necessarily agree. I think it’s healthy and often times hilarious to rehash the glory days. What was particularly funny was that a couple of us were talking about a case from back in 1997. “I wasn’t born yet,” o...

Saw that the Dow Jones set a record. Unemployment is about as low as it can possibly go. Wages are going up, inflation is being controlled. Yet, news broke yesterday about an impeachment inquiry beginning to access the ‘Biden crime wave.’ “What evidence is there?” A reporter asked. “We’ll get back to you,” was the answer. Evidently, Hunter Biden, who struggled mightily with addiction after the loss of his mother and brother did some crazy things. At one point or another he sent his Dad payments for a car… …totaling a few grand… …and the GOP is saying that is evidence that Dad is a criminal who was taking kickbacks from China. It didn’t matter that Joe didn’t hold office at the time and that Hunter has never held a political position. “Uh, about that evidence?” “Yeah. We’ll let you know if we find any.” So, let’s tally the work they’ve done: 1). They fired the speaker. 2). A month later they found a new speaker. 3). He thinks he’s Moses. 4). They chased one of their own guys out of Cong...

The nation has been captured in the horrific hell that is the Texas court system. Kate Cox is the mother of two. She is caught in a non-viable pregnancy, and after 20 weeks she conferred with her doctor.  The doc advised that she end the pregnancy. For her own health. The pregnancy is not viable! The fetus will never become a baby. The abortion that she needs is a health care issue. Texas decided that what her doctor prescribed and what she wants (as emotionally devastating as it all is) doesn’t matter. It’s more than outrageous. It’s dangerous. Of course, I read the threads of the debate. “God performs miracles every day,” one man wrote. “Perhaps it’s not as dire as that doctor thinks and the child will be born.” That’s not a working theory. ‘Hoping for a miracle’ when it may cost the Mom her life… …isn’t a gamble anyone should take. She is the mother of two children and the wife to a husband who needs her. She isn’t ending the pregnancy is inconvenient… …it will save her life. As...

The Ollie update. He was named after the Bills player, Ed Oliver, and we had a laugh when the announcer yelled: “Oliver can be really disruptive!” That’s true. We are still playing catch - had to move to the side yard to stay clear of a couple of muddy areas, but we went from playing 4 times a day down to just a couple. So, we have indoor toys: Pinky, Bunny, Brain (a ball that came out of Bunny’s head), Flippy, big football, little football and the two new ones: Pig And Penguin. The game - which we named roll call - goes something like this: I call out the name of the toy and  Ollie gets it. We place them on the couch until they’re all lined up… …and then we play with each one. Basically, we play tug of war. When I get the toy away from him I throw it down the stairs. Two seconds later, he brings it back. There is no time limit on the game. “Someone take the damn dog!” I yell and I get a bit of a break. After he visits Humpy. How long does it take a lab to calm down? Ed Oliver can ...

Early this morning I heard a ad from a patriot website that implored me to buy three months of dry food to prepare for ‘what’s coming.’ Over the weekend we caught the Julia Roberts end times movie that was pretty damn good. It was apparent to me that I would’ve been the Ethan Hawke character - totally clueless about what to do - while running to the Kevin Bacon character for help. I don’t wanna be around when the shit hits the fan and we are all fighting one another for scraps of food. And I often think of the old Roger Waters song where the radio guy announces that the end of the world is imminent. Then he gives the score of a baseball game that is in the 7th inning. Ho-hum. Yet, there’s no joking about it. There are people who are stockpiling guns, food, generators, clothes, etc… …in preparation for ‘when it happens.’ Not us and I take little comfort in knowing my boys would be around… …once we run out of chicken fries we’re cooked.

I’ve always wished that the money being made by athletes was never made public. They’re genetic freaks. We watch them play and sports is an amusing distraction that enriches our lives. Yet, when a player signs a deal for $700 million dollars for 10 years of work… …we all gasp. “No one is worth that!” “We’re going to pay the price! Tickets are outrageous!” Yet, the money is there. The Dodgers wouldn’t cough up that much money unless they were capable of recouping every penny. Ohtani is truly a superstar. He’s one of the best hitters in the game and he’s also one of the top pitchers as well. A once in a generation talent. I’ve seen him play a half-dozen times in five years as he’s been toiling out on the West Coast. The Yankees beat him both times when he was pitching. He hit a few homers against them. He hasn’t appeared in a playoff game, and so far, he hasn’t played in a high-pressured event. Ever! Not disparaging him at all - I wish that he was on the Yankees until 2033.  Here’s t...

We got a whole lot of sun last week. My Italian ancestry allows me to turn darker.  Kathy’s skin is much more fair. She’s red. There’s a price to pay. We’re both itchy. And I had a rough go trying to get back into the swing of things. On Wednesday I returned to work and put in more than 9 hours. I fell asleep on the couch by 7:00. The scratching woke me up. I also checked back into the world. The Yankees showed up and flexed a little muscle. They now have 2 of the best 5 hitters in the sport. Uncle George - may he rest in peace - would be gleeful- Cousin Hal stepped up. As for the Bills - they had a bye week - a week to re-energize. One of their highest paid players was arrested for allegedly beating up his pregnant girlfriend. Their coach was called out for using the terrorists who attacked on 9/11 as inspiration for good communication and teamwork. Politics? Putin sent out a thank-you to the American Republican Party, thanking them for helping his country to attack Ukraine. The c...

  I’ve heard it said that God only seems to speak to lunatics. What do you say to someone when they express that God stopped by to talk with them? I’ve had a couple of people mention their experiences where God visited with them to give them the nod of approval. “Bat Shit Crazy” Is the phrase that normally crosses my mind as I take in what they’re saying. Faith is one thing. Praying is another. Yet, believing that God is telling you that you’re the man to part the Red Sea… …as if you’re the second coming of Moses? Sorry. Bat shit. It’s like the people who believe they found a potato chip that looks like the Virgin Mary. “God placed that in my bag to give me a message that I should lead the world out of this mess.” Uh. No. It’s a potato chip. You, nutbag, you. The scariest part? This guy is two heartbeats away from the top chair. The lines between church and state are being blurred beyond comprehension. The most ridiculous aspect of it all? The very same evangelicals claimed that Go...

For the third time we finished ‘The Sopranos’. The question Kathy asked when it ended should sum up what we thought of this viewing: “Want to start it again?” She asked. “You know, I loved ‘Breaking Bad’ and it was awesome, but if it’s in second place it’s not even in the same universe as ‘The Sopranos.’” The relationships are so well-developed. Carmela’s and Tony’s marriage, the back and forth with their children, the men in the gang, Paulie, Christopher, Bobby and Janice. Religion is front and center. Mental health is discussed at length. Aging and death and grief. In the last episode, Tony sees Uncle Junior in the nursing home. Junior doesn’t recognize Tony as dementia has stripped him of all mental health. “You ran all of North New Jersey,” Tony says. “That’s nice,” Uncle Junior says, not remembering any of it. That’s the scene that always punches me in the gut. None of it mattered. And I considered that James Gandolfini has died. “I can’t believe he’s dead,” I said, as we watched ...

I wasn’t about to stop wearing shorts. I knew that I was going to lose 52 degrees as the plane set down in Buffalo, but I decided to put my sweats in my carry-on bag. I’d put them on in the restroom before I hit the street. The problem, of course, is that my casual dress is truly casual. “What’s that stain on your shorts?” Kathy asked. “Paint?” “Maybe,” I said. “Been there a long time.” “Your Mantle shirt is also ready for the garbage,” she said. “My Lord!” I exclaimed. “Do you even hear yourself?” We were seated at the gate. Kathy turned her attention to my ripped up, bulging gym bag. “Doesn’t your stuff fit into the bag?” She asked. “It fits, but the zipper is busted so it kind of spills out.” She laughed. “What?” “You’re a successful man,” she said. “You look like you’re homeless.” She was being dramatic. Yet, about twenty minutes later, I was washing my hands in the airport bathroom before takeoff. Caught a glimpse. “Mess,” I thought. “Homeless man.” The Mantle shirt IS READY for t...

They threw George Santos out of Congress. As a Congress person you truly have to be scraping the bottom of the barrel to get the boot. They let anything slide. But this guy was a bridge too far. He allegedly lied about what he lied about and when confronted with the truth he lied some more. Yet, that in and of itself isn’t disqualifying… …see front runner for Iowa primary. But George was pretty well not liked on both sides of the aisle and in getting to know stuff about him… …seemed like a different sort of guy. I was still surprised when they bounced him… …normally they let the disgusting behavior continue and fester and there are certainly a few more who should be shown the door. Seems like a decent thought to at least set the floor for what allows you in those ‘hallowed halls’. If that’s the bottom… …well, there may still be a few there who come in below George.

The plane will arrive later tonight and then there will be a huge welcome home as Oliver loses his freaking mind. One of the things that happened with this little break was that I hardly paid attention to the news of the world. I didn’t look at the news stories about the 2024 election - they’re trying to turn the entire thing into a boxing match - and they learned nothing from the last two elections - instead of telling the truth about what’s truly happening they’re pretending that the criminal is actually qualified. I didn’t miss that at all! I forgot that there were football games yesterday, but I did glance at the scores. And what else matters - that is presented - when you think about it? There are stories about crime, shootings, arguments about abortion and immigration. The needle doesn’t move. We were watching an episode of the Sopranos and Tony and Bobby were out in the woods shooting an AR-15. “800 rounds a minute,” Bobby said. The power of the weapon was ridiculous. “They let ...

My skin has been a little warm, and a tad red - too much time in the sun. Champagne problems, huh? Yet, the best part of this break has been the feeling of not being stressed about anything. I’ve left dishes in the sink. Not checking my emails. I’ve even nodded off, and I’ve slept like a rock three nights in a row. Through the years, my bosses have continually told me that I needed to take time to re-energize. It’s embarrassing that I never did it. We’ve spent a little time analyzing it.  “Can’t you slow down instead of walking a high wire everyday?” Kathy asked. The answer to that has always been an emphatic ‘No.’ It’s all or nothing, man. How is Ollie handling it? “He torpedoed Maggie,” Jake said, speaking of his girlfriend. “Knocked her off her feet.” Sounds about right. He hits me hard when we’re playing football. I am able to hold my feet. “He’s not going to let you out of his sight,” Kathy said. “Nothing new there.” A couple of more days. There’s a shot at a round of golf tod...

I was alone at the hot tub on Friday morning.  Unfortunately, I had to hobble to get there, my knee still howling, but I looked up and around.  A bird moving across a bright blue sky. A palm tree. Beach chairs. My phone… …way over there. Nothing much to think about.  And my favorite part about this particular spot is that the hot tub is amazing and the pool is better. A young girl jumped into the pool and did a lap. An older woman, who appeared to be her coach, had a stopwatch. When the kid got to the other side, the coach yelled out: “13 seconds.” I watched for a long while. Each lap was between 12 seconds and 15 seconds. The young girl wasn’t even breathing hard. A little while later, I asked Kathy to time me as I made a lap. I took off, but 5 seconds later, while under water, I started laughing. It was hard to swim with a messed up knee. I kept going though. “26 seconds,” Kathy announced as I popped up on the other side. “Damn, I’m old.” I’ve read for hours. On the cha...

Went to sleep on Wednesday night at my usual time - even though we are on vacation - it was the travel day so getting a good night’s rest so we could hit the ground running… …slept great too… …but then I turned my left knee and pain signals darkened my vision. “What the what?” Turned to put that foot on the floor. Oh no. I did a mental breakdown of when I first felt a twinge there - Tuesday on the ladder? Fixing the toilet? The airport walk? Doesn’t matter. I hobbled around all day. Lots of ice and heat and plenty o’ pain. Now, I’ve been the legs of the operation for a long, long time. “You need a water or anything?” Kathy asked as she got up from our seats by the pool. “Yeah.” Then I watched her struggle away. And I thought of an old quote about love: The blinding passion of youth. The shared responsibilities of middle aged and the mutual dependency of the rest of the way. We aren’t old. This is just a knee. But in the middle of it all… …thinking of her getting me a water… …made me sm...